Taxes of the rich and (in)famous

Celebrity tax troubles, high-profile scandals, and what the ultra-wealthy get away with — or don’t — when it comes to taxes.

International | Prosecutions, felonies and misdemeanors | Sports and Tax | Taxes of the rich and (in)famous

Updated: Spanish Prosecutors Drop Criminal Tax Charges Against Lionel Messi
ByKelly Phillips Erb October 6, 2015

(Author’s note: This is not the last word on Messi. On October 8, a judge ruled that despite the prosecution’s actions, the case will move forward. More here.) Soccer fans in Barcelona can finally breathe a sigh of relief: prosecutors in Spain have dropped criminal charges against footballer Lionel Messi. It’s a dramatic turnabout from earlier…

Read More Updated: Spanish Prosecutors Drop Criminal Tax Charges Against Lionel Messi
Sports and Tax | Taxes of the rich and (in)famous

Agent To Neymar: Grab Your Money, Send It To Tax Havens
ByKelly Phillips Erb September 29, 2015

Footballer Neymar’s agent, Wagner Ribeiro, raised eyebrows yesterday when he took to Instagram to offer a little bit of tax and career advice to his star player. Posting in Portuguese, and addressing Neymar directly, Ribeiro complained about the press, government, and fans who “celebrated the blocking assets that was imposed on you.” Ribeiro was, of…

Read More Agent To Neymar: Grab Your Money, Send It To Tax Havens
International | Sports and Tax | Taxes of the rich and (in)famous

Court Freezes $50 Million In Assets As Soccer Superstar Neymar Accused Of Tax Evasion
ByKelly Phillips Erb September 25, 2015

Another FC Barcelona striker has been accused of tax evasion – and this time, it’s not Spanish tax authorities who are leveling the accusations. A Brazilian judge has charged that Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, known to most of the world simply as Neymar, took steps to avoid reporting income and paying tax. As a result, he…

Read More Court Freezes $50 Million In Assets As Soccer Superstar Neymar Accused Of Tax Evasion
International | Politics | Taxes of the rich and (in)famous

Billionaire's Tax Status Remains At Heart Of Cameron Tell-All Book Scandal
ByKelly Phillips Erb September 22, 2015

Playwright John Osborne noted, “In London, love and scandal are considered the best sweeteners of tea.” If true, right now, Londoners must be in sugar shock. Londoners – and indeed most in the U.K. – were rocked earlier this week by lurid allegations about Prime Minister David Cameron’s past following the release of Call Me…

Read More Billionaire's Tax Status Remains At Heart Of Cameron Tell-All Book Scandal
Prosecutions, felonies and misdemeanors | Taxes of the rich and (in)famous

Mega-Mansion Attracts Notice By Feds, Results In Criminal Charges
ByKelly Phillips Erb September 6, 2015

11 bedrooms. 14 full baths. 5 half baths. 13 fireplaces. 32,400 square feet. A home of that size, thought to be the largest in Pennsylvania, is sure to attract attention and that’s exactly what happened. According to local sources, federal agents flying in and out of Pittsburgh noticed the size and scope of a mansion…

Read More Mega-Mansion Attracts Notice By Feds, Results In Criminal Charges
Charitable organizations | Taxes of the rich and (in)famous

Michael Jordan Nets Multimillion Dollar Verdict, Pledges To Give It Away
ByKelly Phillips Erb August 25, 2015

$8.9 million. That’s what a Chicago jury agreed was the value of using Michael Jordan’s name for a one-time spot in a magazine. The decision came after an extensive lawsuit involving Dominick’s Finer Foods, a Chicago-area grocery store chain owned by Safeway, Inc. The chain was in business for nearly 90 years before shuttering their…

Read More Michael Jordan Nets Multimillion Dollar Verdict, Pledges To Give It Away
International | Pop culture | Taxes of the rich and (in)famous

Snoop Dogg Has Money On His Mind After Being Stopped With Lots Of Cash In The Airport
ByKelly Phillips Erb August 3, 2015

Last week, Italian police stopped rapper Snoop Dogg and found $422,000 (€385,071.64) in his luggage (Louis Vuitton, of course) just as he was about to board a plane. Snoop, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, had not declared the cash and that’s against the rules. In the European Union, the maximum amount of cash that…

Read More Snoop Dogg Has Money On His Mind After Being Stopped With Lots Of Cash In The Airport
Sports and Tax | Taxes of the rich and (in)famous

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Heir Says IRS Trying To Improperly Seize Assets
ByKelly Phillips Erb July 28, 2015

As the heir of a long time National Football League (NFL) franchise owner, Hugh Culverhouse Jr. knows a little bit about blindsiding. He just didn’t expect to experience it himself from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). According to Culverhouse, the IRS blindsided him with a demand for payment on a tax liability that doesn’t exist…

Read More Tampa Bay Buccaneers Heir Says IRS Trying To Improperly Seize Assets
Prosecutions, felonies and misdemeanors | Taxes of the rich and (in)famous

Spain's King Felipe Strips Sister Of Royal Title As Tax Evasion Charges Proceed
ByKelly Phillips Erb June 13, 2015

King Felipe VI of Spain has removed the title of “Duchess of Palma de Mallorca” from his sister, Princess Cristina, who faces criminal charges of tax evasion. It’s the second big shakeup in the Spanish Royal monarchy in the past two years. On June 19, 2014, King Juan Carlos I abdicated in favor of his…

Read More Spain's King Felipe Strips Sister Of Royal Title As Tax Evasion Charges Proceed
Prosecutions, felonies and misdemeanors | Sports and Tax | Taxes of the rich and (in)famous

Footballer Lionel Messi To Face Trial On Tax Fraud Charges
ByKelly Phillips Erb June 10, 2015December 4, 2019

Lionel Messi is having one roller coaster of a month. On Saturday, the FC Barcelona (“Barca”) soccer star helped boost his team to a 3-1 win over Juventus in the UEFA Champions League final, marking the fifth time that Barca has taken home the league trophy. While Messi didn’t score in that game, he clearly played a…

Read More Footballer Lionel Messi To Face Trial On Tax Fraud Charges